Quick Arrangements
Flowers are one of the simple joys of summer. Enjoy the bounty of these blissful days, and visit your local farmers market for bargain blooms. Go early in the morning for best selection. Season's picks include zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, gomphrenas, tuberoses, celosias, blazing stars, Mexican sunflowers, and dahlias. Create easy bouquets by choosing one type of flower or the same color of several types. Echo the casual side of the season by using whatever is at hand for vases, such as oversize glasses, colorful tin cans, or jars. --Gene B. Bussell

Smart Watering
Pay close attention to your hanging baskets, pots, and window boxes this month. By this time of year, the plants have grown out and their roots have developed fully, maximizing water usage. Watch plants closely, and water regularly. Daily watering is not unusual.

Tasty Vegetables
Pick tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos early in the morning on the day you plan to eat them. Select okra, eggplants, squash, and cucumbers when they are small. Use sharp clippers or a small knife to harvest these to avoid tearing the vines or stalks. Southern peas should also be picked when tender for best flavor; make sure the pod is filled out before harvesting. In the Lower and Coastal South, there is still time to set out transplants for another crop of tomatoes in time for a fall harvest.

Aloe
This handy houseplant (Aloe vera) can be your friend. Cut and use the gel inside the fleshy leaves for burns. Caring for your plant is simple. They prefer bright light. Allow the soil to dry slightly between watering.

Mosquitoes
You can reduce the number of mosquitoes breeding in your yard by following a few simple steps. Empty all sources of standing water from buckets or plant saucers. Keep roof gutters clear of debris so water does not collect. Change the water in birdbaths at least once a week. Areas around ditches, low spots in your yard, and places of standing water--such as water gardens and goldfish ponds--can be treated for these pests. An easy, convenient product to use is Mosquito Bits (granular) or Mosquito Dunks (solid).

Choosing Seeds
Plan your fall garden now for spring blooms. Review mail-order catalogs, and select flower seeds for autumn planting. Good choices include larkspurs, bachelor's buttons, and poppies.

FLORIDA

Dependable Roses
Many roses are not easy to grow in Florida. The Knock Out Series, however, has proven to be a winner since being introduced. It likes heat and humidity and is also resistant to leaf diseases. It blooms practically year-round and is very dependable and carefree in the Florida landscape. The original 'Knock Out' rose has cherry red blooms. There is also a double flowering form of the original. 'Pink Knock Out' produces dark pink flowers, and 'Blushing Knock Out' has light pink flowers that turn even lighter with age. More recent introductions to the series include 'Rainbow Knock Out,' which has coral pink blossoms with a yellow center. Plant these shrubs en masse in an area that receives five or more hours of direct sunlight each day. Avoid poorly drained soil. These plants are fairly drought tolerant once established. --David W. Marshall

Entire State
Lawn care--To prepare your grass for cooler weather, apply a fertilizer that contains at least as much potassium (the last number) as nitrogen (the first number). Sta-Green Centipede Weed & Feed 15-0-15 or Lesco Professional Turf Fertilizer 15-0-15 are good examples. Apply no more than 6 pounds of the fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of lawn area.

North and Central
Fall flowers--Make the coming months more colorful by planting fall-blooming perennials such as Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), Philippine violet (Barleria cristata), pineapple sage (Salvia elegans), and chrysanthemums. Cut back leggy annuals such as impatiens and sages now so they will sprout new growth and continue blooming through fall. Add new annuals such as marigolds, melampodiums, and torenias to provide easy color until the first freeze.

Tiny tomatoes--To have a continual harvest of salad tomatoes until the first frost, plant some of the small-fruited types such as 'Sweet 100,' 'Husky Cherry Red,' or 'Yellow Pear' now. Train the plants on a trellis or in tomato cages. Purchase them at your local nursery, or order seeds from Tomato Growers, www.tomatogrowers.com or 1-888-478-7333.

Central and South
Pruning palms--Many homeowners think removing all but a few of the upper fronds on their palms will make their plants more resistant to strong winds, particularly during hurricane season. However, a palm's open, feather-like leaf structure allows winds to pass through easily. You only need to remove the brown fronds if you dislike the look.

Citrus--Feed citrus again this month with a fertilizer such as Schultz Expert Gardener Citrus & Tropical Plant Food 10-4-10. If rains are frequent, you may experience fruit splitting on thin-skinned types of citrus such as lemons, limes, and tangerines. This problem should decrease as drier weather arrives, typically in late September. South

Bougainvilleas--If plants need a little pruning to keep them in bounds, do it now. Bougainvilleas will be forming buds soon, and later pruning will reduce winter bloom.

TEXAS

Foliage Accents
Replenish shady areas with brightly colored leaves. Chartreuse greens and golden variegated plants such as 'Gold Child' English ivy, 'Lime Zinger' elephant's ears, and variegated gingers contrast nicely with purple-hued Joseph's coat, chicken gizzard plant (Iresine lindenii), and Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyeranus). Combine these with wax-leaf begonias and impatiens in shades of red, pink, and white. Be sure to spade in several inches of organic material such as composted pine bark, peat, or mushroom compost before planting. --William C. Welch

Panhandle
Vegetables--Okra, tomatoes, peppers, and squash benefit from frequent picking. To ensure maximum tenderness and flavor, pick eggplants just as their color develops. To extend the harvest in your vegetable garden, water deeply and regularly and mulch.

Entire State
Fall favorites--Prepare for fall garden displays by setting out 1-gallon or larger containers of aromatic aster (Aster oblongifolius), garden chrysanthemums, Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), Salvia 'Indigo Spires,' firebush (Hamelia patens), and Mexican mint marigold.

North and East
Wildflowers--Wildflowers--Select some areas to sow wildflowers for blooms next spring. Lightly till the soil and rake in seed at this time. If you choose a wildflower mix, make sure it is suitable for your area. Bluebonnets remain our most popular wildflower, but others include coreopsis, gaillardias, and purple coneflowers. Order seeds from Wildseed Farms (located near Fredericksburg), www.wildseedfarms.com or 1-800-848-0078.

Central, West, and South
Rose revival--WHybrid tea roses can be lightly pruned now for a bountiful harvest of blooms this fall. Begin by removing dead or weak canes; then reduce the length of healthy ones by one-third to one-half. Fertilize with commercial rose food according to label directions, or for organic choices, use cottonseed meal or alfalfa meal (1 to 2 cups per plant). Water well, and add mulch, if needed.

South
Bougainvilleas--Add these vines to your garden for bright blooms from now through late fall. Dependable choices include 'Sea Foam,' 'Raspberry Ice,' and 'Sundown Orange.'

"Around Your Garden" is from the August 2007 issue of Southern Living.